1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to traffic barricades, and more particularly, to an interchangeable traffic barricade.
2. Description of Related Art
In accordance with the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) Manual on Uniform Traffic Control (MUTCD), as well as the proposed FHA “Millenium Standard,” traffic barricades used by contractors at road construction sites must properly instruct drivers in which direction to veer to avoid traffic obstructions by applying reflective sheeting which displays diagonal white and orange stripes. The well-known barricade indicia shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B instruct drivers to veer to the left, or veer to the right, respectively. Typically, this “slanted bar” (an orange band) traffic flow instruction indicia is located on a stand, (e.g., sawhorse style) and is referred to as a “Type I” sign. Moreover, a pair of these “slanted bar” traffic flow instruction indicia can be vertically-aligned on a stand to form a “Type II” sign (see FIG. 2A); where one of these “slanted bar” traffic flow instruction indicia is replaced with an “arrow”, that is known as a “Directional Type II” sign (see FIG. 2B).
However, currently, manufacturers, such as 3M®, provide barricade rental companies with large rolls of the slanted bar traffic flow instruction on a tape that is reflective. The rental company then cuts the tape according to FHA standards and applies (e.g., using an adhesive on the back of the tape) it to a plurality of barricades to form a plurality of dedicated (e.g., “veer to the left” instruction) Type I and Type II (including Directional Type II) and Type III barricades (see MUTCD, Section 6F.60 Type I, II, III Barricades). Another roll of tape, but with the slanted bar traffic flow instruction in the opposite direction, must be purchased by the rental company, cut appropriately, and then applied to another plurality of barricades to form another plurality of dedicated (e.g., “veer to the right” instruction) Type I and Type II (including Directional Type II) barricades. Not only is the tape expensive but having to make dedicated barriers is inefficient. The reason for requiring different rolls of tape for different veering instructions is best shown in FIGS. 3A–3C: if one “flips” the slanted bar design 180°, the result is the slanted bar is still in the same direction.
Thus, there remains a need for an interchangeable barricade sign that eliminates the need to require dedicated barriers which are compliant with FHA MUTCD, as well as the proposed “Millenium Standard.”